10/21/22, 4:59 PM ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme: A critical analysis | ORF

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HOME > EXPERT SPE AK > ‘BETI BACHAO, BETI PADHAO’ SCHEME: A CRITIC A L A NALYS I S

INDIA MATTERS OCT 19 2022

‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme: A critical analys

AVNI ARORA

Despite the BBBP scheme bringing much-need attention to gender discrimination,

scheme in its present form is at risk of failing its central objective due to poor
implementation and monitoring

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DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC EDUCATION GIRLS AND WOMEN HEALTHCARE

INDIA SDGS

Gender parity in terms of survival and education is essential to equitable economic

development and a cornerstone for ensuring basic human rights. Through Sustaina
Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education) and 5 (Gender Equality), there has
been a persistent push for better policies aimed at bridging gendered gaps in critic
areas of healthcare and education for girls and women.

In India, patriarchal social norms such as son preference and regressive power
structures continue to pose hurdles for young girls in terms of survival and educatio
leading to multiple barriers and missed economic opportunities throughout their liv
According to the United Nations estimates between the years 2000 and 2020, India
became one of the countries with the most skewed child sex ratio(CSR), driven by t
after-effects of the abortion legislation and the introduction of prenatal diagnostic
technology in the 1970s. The trend of sex-selective abortions saw an upward trajec
till about 2011 when India witnessed an overall high of 111 males per 100 females i
the 2011 census. However, according to the latest National Family Health Survey
(2019-21)the gap has reduced over the last decade, to about 109 males per 100
females and further to 108 males per 100 females. A similar trend has been observe
in terms of female literacy rates in the country.

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According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, India was placed at 107th rank
among 146 countries in female education which covers literacy and enrolment rate
primary, secondary, and tertiary education. India’s position has seen a relatively
upward trend since 2018 which can be attributed to massive campaigns and
interventions run by the government under its flagship programme ‘Beti Bachao, B

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Padhao’ (BBBP). The Government of India together with the Ministry of Women & C
Development (MoWCD), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW), and Minist
of Human Resources Development (MoHRD) launched BBBP in 2015 with the key
quantitative objectives of improving the Sex Ratio at Birth(SRB) in selected gender
critical districts by two points in a year, reducing gender differentials in under five c
mortality rate from 7 points in 2014 to 1.5 points per year and increasing enrolmen
girls in secondary education to 82 percent by 2018-19. The scheme was initially
launched in only 161 districts and eventually covered all 640 districts of the country
The BBBP scheme has been quoted as a proactive initiative for dealing with gender
based discrimination against the girl child as the 161 districts that have been a part
the initial implementation of the BBBP scheme have witnessed an improving trend
SRB in 104 districts.

Source: Global Gender Gap Reports (2015-2022)

A critical perspective
Despite the overall positive assessment of the scheme, there exist gaps in terms of
budgetary planning and lack of monitoring. A parliamentary committee led by Heen
Vijaykumar Gavit, in December 2021, while discussing the report titled ‘Empowerm
of Women through education with special reference to ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’
noted that out of INR446.7 released under the scheme during the period from 201

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2019, a large portion, nearly  78.91 percent, was spent only on media campaigns an
advocacy alone.

The committee found that the overall utilisation of funds under the scheme was be
par. Since the inception of the scheme, the total budget allocation under the schem
came down to INR848 crore—this excludes the financial year 2020-21 when the
country was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The amount released to the state
was INR622.48 crore but the amount spent was only INR156.46 crore which was on
25.13 percent of the funds allocated to the states and union territories. The
committee also noted that huge spending on national-level media campaigns for th
scheme was a clear violation of the INR50-lakh provision earmarked for each distric
under the scheme for six different components consisting of innovation and
awareness building, intersectoral consultation and capacity building, monitoring
evaluation, and interventions of health and education.

The committee found that the overall utilisation of funds under the schem
was below par. Since the inception of the scheme, the total budget allocatio
under the scheme came down to INR848 crore—this excludes the financia
year 2020-21 when the country was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A 2017 Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) Report, reiterates the issue of
inefficient allocation of funds and claims that the scheme fell short in social, econo
and general sectors. The report, while highlighting the cases of Punjab and Haryana
claimed issues of under-utilisation of funds, non-compliance to guidelines and
infrequent task meetings. In the case of Haryana, from 2015 to 2016, out of the 20
districts in which the scheme was active, three were audited to reveal that only one
state meeting took place and none at the district level. It was also noted that instea
of awarding schools in the three districts with INR15 lakh only INR1 lakh was award
In Punjab, monthly progress reports, and infrequent meetings delayed the proper
implementation of the scheme in the year 2015-2016, with only INR 0.91 crores bei
spent out of the allotted INR6.36 crores.

Evaluation of BBBP
A study conducted by the National Council of Applied Economic Research to evalua
whether BBBP programmes had been able to bring about the desired change in the
161 early-implementation districts found loopholes in the implementation process
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identified structural barriers to girls’ entry and retention in schools. Presented belo
are school-level indicators such as initiatives undertaken by the schools to identify t
constraints faced by girls in continuing their education as well as to ensure the
retention and continuation of girls till the completion of secondary school educatio
In the survey, 73.5 per cent of schools out of the total surveyed pointed towards th
dual burden of care responsibilities, unavailability of clean functional toilets, inabilit
to buy uniforms or books, and lack of safe commuting options as key constraints to
girls’ education.

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The study inquired into the levels of awareness among the sample group and also
takes into account the objectives of the scheme and grass root implementation of
initiatives under the BBBP scheme such as the formation of “Balika Manch[1]”,
activated school management committees, and linking out of school girls with back
school alternative education for bettering the enrolment rate, etc.

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Based on the findings of a comprehensive survey across urban and rural areas of 14
states, the study recommended hiring staff to regularly conduct field inspections a
review the implementation at a grassroots level.

Recommendations for better Implementation

 1. Digitalisation

Mobile and internet penetration rates have almost skyrocketed since the pandemic
While technology has become essential for most basic functions such as education,
payments, and communication, leveraging technology for monitoring and evaluatio
purposes is imperative. While media campaigns under the BBBP have had exemplar
results in raising the issue of son preference, proper monitoring such as regular
sampling, and quarterly progress reports on implementations would be essential fo

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forming better state-level and district-level policies aimed at improving the primary
conditions that affect the health, survival, and education of girls.

2. Increasing the number of female teachers 

Incentivising educated females to join schools as teachers could ramp up female

enrollment in schools. It would help in bringing in gender parity in terms of staff as
well as ease of communication and comfort for female pupils.

3. Female participation in the community-led scheme

Implementation of a gender-sensitive scheme should also involve gender

representation. Community-level workers who often work in a close nexus with the
people and know the community quite well should be the face of this scheme. Loca
frontline workers such as ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, and Mahila Mandals
should be key players in the implementation of the scheme.

4. Training for on-ground personnel involved in community outreach activities 

Refresher training and capacity building of the personnel employed on the field for
community outreach is also important as they are more aware of the ground realitie
Gender sensitisation training for personnel along with basic digital upskilling would
a long way in ensuring better implementation of the scheme.

5. Provision of clean, functional toilets 

According to a study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research, the

unavailability of toilets on school premises has been observed as a major cause of h
dropout amongst female students. Ensuring the availability of toilets on public
properties such as schools would help boost the enrolment rate. 

Conclusion 
Despite the BBBP scheme accomplishing the major task of bringing the issue of son
preference to the forefront, the scheme in its present form is at risk of failing its
central task due to poor implementation and monitoring. The lack of frequent
meetings at the district and state levels can lead to the scheme losing the momentu
it has created in the past few years. It is, hence, imperative for the district- and state

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level action committees to have representation from community-level workers,

cognisance of the challenges faced by the female students such as unavailability of
toilets and adept monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in place to have measurab
outcomes indicative of the progress made on the objectives of the schemes.

[1]Balika Manches are platforms created at government schools in which girls from
senior secondary and higher senior secondary classes come together, participate an
find a solution to issues that confront adolescent girls.

The views expressed above belong to the author(s).

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